Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System vs Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System (B) and Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 68% and 70% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System at 66/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 2.5 percentage points (70.3% vs 67.8%). Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) covers 88,000 participants.
| Metric | Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System | Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 66/100 (B) | 67/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 67.8% | 70.3%* |
| Total Assets | $18.2B | $10.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $26.8B | $14.5B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $8.6B | $4.3B* |
| Participants | 162,000 | 88,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.4% | 5.6%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Oklahoma | State of Oklahoma |
Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System at 66/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 2.5 percentage points (70.3% vs 67.8%). Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) covers 88,000 participants.